TEXAS — In May, Harlingen Pastor Luis Cabrera asked the Brownsville ISD school board to remove books from school libraries due to what he deemed explicit content. That same month, Cabrera’s secretary sent an email requesting that more than 600 books be removed from another South Texas district.

What You Need To Know

  • The number of national challenges to books has increased 65% from 2022 to 2023

  • In Texas, school libraries are barred from housing sexually explicit materials; however, book challenges also encompass LGBTQ and BIPOC stories as well as reproductive health

  • Some districts have reportedly removed books immediately, others review the book with a group of community members before making a decision, and many are using the rubric review system, which is where districts remove a book based on a specific item with no further context

  • There is hope lawmakers will rework the state law. Concerned parents want that to include a community-based book review process

The Mission School District declined an interview but says it has not “reconsidered, restricted, or removed any books from our libraries at this time.”

“If you can’t read the content in a public-school board meeting, that book should not be in a K-12 library,” said Jonathan Schober with Citizens Defend Freedom.

These requests are part of a growing statewide movement to have certain books removed from public school libraries.

“We want to see parents that are taking an active and engaged handle on their children’s education,” said Schober.

The number of national challenges to books has increased 65% from 2022 to 2023. In Texas, school libraries are barred from housing sexually explicit materials; however, book challenges also encompass LGBTQ and BIPOC stories as well as reproductive health.

“No one is forced to check out books out of the library. But the removal of this and the access of these materials hinders a student’s ability to be able to explore,” said Becky Calzada with the American Association of School Libraries.

School districts have internal processes for removing books, but critics of mass book challenges say districts are banning books due to increasing pressure and not following the policies they have in place.

“They misrepresent what the book is. They misrepresent where the book is and who has access to read it. And then they say, and our list of 600-plus books is full of titles just like this,” said Laney Hawes with Texas Freedom to Read Project.

Some districts have reportedly removed books immediately, others review the book with a group of community members before making a decision, and many are using the rubric review system, which is where districts remove a book based on a specific item with no further context.

“The rubric doesn’t read the book in its entirety,” said Hawes.

There is hope lawmakers will rework the state law. Concerned parents want that to include a community-based book review process.